Trip Report: Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails (N to S)
Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk:
I started from Landmannalaugar just after noon due to the TREX bus schedule, which wasn’t ideal as it meant part of the run would be at night. Brief stops at Hrafntinnusker, Álftavatn, and Emstrur to refill water helped break up the route. I reached Þórsmörk at 9 PM, refilled water, and swapped my hat for a headlamp.
Þórsmörk to Skógar:
Leaving Þórsmörk as darkness set in, I lost half an hour to river crossing complications. The Fimmvörðuháls trail markers largely lacked reflectors, making navigation difficult in the dark. The black volcanic terrain didn’t lend itself well to headlamp lighting, and while I was grateful to have Max Tiemann's GPX track to follow, it was slow going. After losing the trail a few times, I descended the final stairs, startled some sheep, and reached Skógar just before 3:30 AM, where I turned myself into an emergency blanket burrito.
Distance: 82 km
A stronger runner with an earlier start could definitely trim a few hours from this time.